A New Journey

A fierce wind swept across the canyon, stirring ripples through the grasslands.

Wild cattle, which had been bowing their heads to graze on the tender grass, lifted their heads to gaze at the sky. There, a wooden merchant ship dozens of meters long was suspended in mid-air, its fully unfurled sails billowing in the wind as it moved slowly forward.

"No matter how many times I see it, this wind tide is truly magnificent."

A middle-aged man clad in leather armor stood by the deck, looking down at the endless expanse of the grasslands and the beautiful scenery.

"For us merchants, this is also a rare business opportunity."

Standing beside the middle-aged man was a slightly plump merchant. He wore his hair in strange curls and was dressed in a merchant's robe. His small eyes were narrowed, watching the scenery before him as if he were calculating something; the way he looked at it, it was as if even this beautiful view could be sold for profit.

"If it weren't for this, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to transport our goods to the central region so quickly. To be honest, I faced opposition when I first planned to expand into this market, but looking at it now, my choice was indeed correct."

"However, if you'll pardon my bluntness, you chose not to take the main shipping lanes and instead traveled through here. While it saves time, the level of danger also increases. I've heard that things haven't been peaceful on the other side lately. Furthermore, I believe the captain has already warned you that there have been sightings of Wind Serpent in this vicinity recently. If by any chance..."

The man's expression grew somber. He turned his head and cast his gaze toward the mountain range not far away. The towering peaks, reaching into the clouds, blocked his view, hiding what lay behind them. Yet, one could vaguely see that the sky in the distance was not a pure, clear blue, but tinged with a gloomy darkness.

That was not a world they should be stepping into.

"Don't worry, there aren't that many 'what ifs.' Wealth is sought amidst danger; that is why I paid such a high price to hire you! It's just a few snakes, isn't it?"

The merchant reached out and patted the man on the shoulder.

"By the way, how is that young man we rescued doing? He isn't dead yet, is he?"

"Lize has already bandaged his wounds. He is currently in a deep sleep, so there shouldn't be any danger to his life."

"That's good."

Hearing the man's reply, the merchant nodded in satisfaction, though he soon frowned.

"But what kind of injury did that young man sustain? Judging by the wound, it looks very much like a large lizard—but are there such strange things in the northern Paffield Highlands?"

"I am not sure either, sir, but I imagine it must have been a very ferocious beast. I just hope we don't run into it."

As he spoke, the man subconsciously glanced at the entrance to the cabin before turning his head back to look ahead.

Rhode opened his eyes.

What happened?

He stared blankly at the ceiling before him, his mind heavy and clouded. He remembered that he had been leading his team on a high platform in the ruins, battling the most powerful boss in the Dragon Soul Continent, the Void Dragon, and had successfully secured the first kill. He was certain he had received the achievement and system notifications, and then, the Void Dragon's final strike had taken his life. According to the original plan, Rhode should have respawned at the graveyard and then logged out. But the moment he was killed by the Void Dragon, the entire world had instantly turned pitch black, as if he had been forcibly isolated, and then, Rhode lost consciousness.

How could this be? Could it be that there was a problem with the game?

Rhode struggled to turn his head; he could see the blue sky and white clouds through the window. Where was he? What place was this? What exactly had happened? Was he still dreaming? Or was he still in the game? At the very least, Rhode could be certain that the place he was in now was definitely not his cramped rental apartment. At this thought, confusion immediately flooded Rhode's heart. He frowned and then attempted to sit up.

"Ugh!!!"

Just then, a sharp, intense pain surged from Rhode's chest. He gritted his teeth and stopped moving. It was only then that Rhode realized his left shoulder and chest were completely wrapped in bandages. Although he didn't know what had happened, judging by the bloodstains seeping through, he was clearly severely injured.

This was definitely not a game!

Rhode could be certain of this. One had to know that although technology was now quite advanced, and the Dragon Soul Continent—as the world's first full-dive virtual reality game—utilized a great deal of high-tech, the rules dictated that players could not experience pain. This was to allow people to distinguish reality from the game, while also considering the need to lower the barrier for players. When a player was injured, instead of pain, the game would use methods to interfere with normal gameplay, such as reducing the player's movement speed or obscuring their vision with a red tint to signal danger, rather than simulating actual agony. This practice had sparked quite a large debate in society when holographic simulation technology first appeared, and the company operating the Dragon Soul Continent certainly could not have been unaware of this.

Rhode lowered his head and stared at his right hand. It was not the character he had created in the game, not that body filled with muscle and wildness. On the contrary, the arm before him was slender and weak, the skin a sickly pale color due to a lack of sunlight. This was his own body from reality; he was very clear on that.

But how had he been injured? And this didn't look like a hospital, either. Rhode looked up; the entire room appeared to be a cabin. There were no lights, no telephone, and no call button. A wooden table, two chairs, and a cabinet fixed to the wall were all the furnishings here. For some reason, Rhode felt as if he had seen this scene somewhere before.

Just as Rhode was carefully examining the room, the door suddenly opened.

A blonde girl in a white robe walked into the room. She looked at Rhode, who was half-sitting up, and opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"You're awake? That's wonderful!!"

The language the girl spoke was neither Chinese nor English, yet Rhode could clearly understand what she was saying. This left Rhode feeling somewhat startled; he knew this language.

This was the Nim Language, one of the official languages of the Dragon Soul Continent!

"How do you feel? Are you alright?"

However, the girl did not pay attention to Rhode's expression. She quickly walked to Rhode's side and carefully checked his left shoulder and chest.

"Your wounds are so severe. To be honest, I was worried about whether you would be able to hold on..."

"This is..."

Rhode frowned, not knowing what to say. He turned his head to look at the mirror on the wall nearby. It clearly reflected his own face. It was indeed his face, without a doubt, but it shouldn't have been here.

"Have you forgotten?"

The blonde girl blinked her eyes in confusion, her twin ponytails swaying slightly with her movements. Her deep blue eyes were clear and transparent, giving off a lively impression.

"Two days ago, you collapsed in the Paffield Highlands, having sustained quite serious injuries. If the merchant ship of the Silver Scales guild hadn't passed by, I'm afraid it would have been quite dire. I really don't know what you were fighting; the left side of your body suffered such severe damage. It was truly very dangerous at that time."

Wait, left shoulder?

Rhode froze for a moment. He immediately recalled that during the final moments of his battle against the Void Dragon, hadn't he been struck on his left side? But that was his in-game character taking damage; it shouldn't have had anything to do with him as a player. Yet now, it was he himself who was injured.

Although the situation before him was chaotic, Rhode quickly calmed down. This was the mental fortitude he possessed as a top-tier player and the leader of the world's most powerful online gaming guild. Through his conversation with the blonde girl before him, Rhode learned of his current predicament: he had been found severely wounded in the Paffield Plains, and a passing airship belonging to the Silver Scales Merchant Guild had rescued him. According to the blonde girl, Rhode's condition had been dire at first, but his recovery rate was quite remarkable.

"My name is Lize Noel. I'm a member of the Star Moon Mercenary Group and a Spirit Master. You can just call me Lize."

The girl introduced herself to Rhode in a straightforward and generous manner.

"I am Rhode Alante."

Although he couldn't yet make sense of the current situation, Rhode hesitated for a moment before providing his in-game identity and ID.

"I come from the Eastern Mountain Plains and am an adventurer."

"An adventurer, I see. That explains why you were all alone in such a remote mountain range."

Hearing Rhode's reply, Lize didn't seem surprised. On this continent, many adventurers enjoyed exploring alone, so the identity Rhode provided didn't raise any red flags.

"But what exactly were you fighting? Why were you so severely injured? I recall that there shouldn't be any particularly terrifying monsters in this plains region."

Hearing the girl's inquiry, Rhode smiled awkwardly. What could he say? Should he tell Lize that he was injured while fighting the Void Dragon, one of the Five Dragons of Creation?

"I was attacked at night, so I didn't get a clear look at what they were. There were many of them, and they were fast. I suspect they might have been things from 'over there'."

"I understand."

Although Rhode didn't elaborate, Lize nodded as if she understood something. She carefully checked Rhode's wounds before standing up.

"You haven't eaten in two days, so you must be starving. Please wait a moment; I'll go get you something to eat right away. Oh, that's right, I also need to report this to our captain. I'm sure he'll come to see you soon."

After saying this, the girl gave Rhode a polite nod before turning and walking out of the room.